MTV Teams with Lauren Conrad to Introduce First-Ever Virtual and Real-World Fashion Line, Taking Personal Expression to Entirely New Level

Lauren Conrad Fashions to Appear in High-End Boutiques and Retail Stores Later This Year

Virtual Fashions Inspired by Lauren to Debut in 'Virtual Hills' Tonight, March 6th at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, with Special Appearance by Lauren

NEW YORK, March 6 -- Her fashion has inspired a generation of young viewers with its California chic look of flirty dresses and trendy tops usually complemented with a signature headband. Now legions of young women can emulate Lauren Conrad's fresh style in the real world and online. MTV Networks and Lauren Conrad -- the star of MTV's popular series "The Hills" -- today announce the first-ever celebrity-inspired digital fashion line to be introduced in the Virtual Hills virtual world. In addition, Lauren will develop a real-world fashion line that will be available in high-end boutiques, retail stores and online later this fall.

The introduction of Lauren's physical and virtual world fashion lines takes the concept of personal expression to new heights for a generation of viewers who take their online persona as seriously as their real-world presence. Reflecting the casual yet smart aesthetic of her real-world attire, the virtual clothing line inspired by Lauren will make its debut in Virtual Hills tonight (http://www.virtualhills.mtv.com), March 6th at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, where fans will be able to buy clothes with in-world currency. As Lauren continues to design her real-world line, she will look for feedback from virtual world patrons to help tailor the styles that make their way to boutiques later this year, a benefit of her close relationship with fans in Virtual Hills.

"Our audience has always felt a connection to Lauren since she first appeared on 'Laguna Beach' and we've created innovative platforms online -- first with mtv.com and now with Virtual Hills -- for fans to connect with her," said Christina Norman, President of MTV. "Our viewers make little distinction between their online and real-world personas, and the introduction of Lauren's fashion line reflects their desire to embrace what they see on television and make it an integral part of all facets of their lives."

The move also reflects a new model of engagement that moves our audience back and forth from real-world to virtual-world consumers -- and back.

"I was so excited to hear MTV was launching Virtual Hills and felt this was a great opportunity for me to bring fashion to technology," said Conrad, who is a fashion major at the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles and also works as an intern at a leading fashion magazine. "We've been working really hard to create sensible, yet trendy fashions that young girls can wear in their real life or virtual life and that project a true sense of self. I'm also excited to continue building relationships with my fans in Virtual Hills and then apply that feedback to my real-world designs."

The virtual fashions include casual-yet-sophisticated tops in an array of colors and accented with layered necklaces. Over time, real-world fashions will also subsequently be digitized for Virtual Hills.

Lauren will unveil her virtual line in MTV's Virtual Hills tonight in "LC," her brand new virtual boutique that she helped design. In addition, tonight also sees the launch of the Virtual Hills "Designer Showcase," which gives fans the ability to design their own clothes and marks the first time members of Virtual Hills can create their own content in-world. Lauren herself will judge the creations as part of her in-world Fashion Challenge; the winner gets a private virtual meeting with Lauren and a selection of Lauren's virtual clothes for free.

An extension of the popular television show "The Hills," Virtual Hills immerses fans of the show in all the glitz, glamour and fashion of the LA scene, and replicates large portions of Hollywood and popular venues featured in the show. Lauren makes frequent appearances in-world. She has been hosting bi-weekly events, offering style types to other young women who are also passionate about fashion and who want to interact directly with Lauren and live for themselves the Hollywood lifestyle they see on-air.

Virtual Hills is available for free download at http://www.vhills.mtv.com.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

SOURCE MTV
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